grants of abernethy

[Gooders]

My connection with the family is that Alexander Grant (b. 1887, Inverallan), the third son of Alexander and Jessie Grant (nee Calder), appears to be the man refered to in a number of local reports relating to WW1 Casualties.

This might be a little surprising, given that I am writing this from Hertfordshire, but all my research to date suggests this Alexander to be our local casualty (d. 23 August 1918).

I have been able to collect a certain amount of information relating to his military service but am now looking to better understand his family life before he enlisted in Hertford in 1914. He appears to be mentioned on the Grantown On Spey War Memorial under the "Herts Regiment" as Corporal A Grant.

I know that he appears in a book (written in the 1920's) called the "Morayshire Roll Of Honour" and this gives his links between Moray and Hertfordshire.

[tomk23]

Re Alexander Grant , i have no information on him , it is his older brother Duncan that i am trying to find out about , he was married to my grandmothers sister , about 1910 he seems to have disappeared where to i cant find out .

[Gooders]

Maybe he and Alexander moved down to Bedfordshire / Hertfordshire together - although that would be a complete guess based simply upon the fact that one brother (Alexander) had moved there by 1914.

Do you have records of where any of the family were in 1911 ?

Simon

[tomk23]

Hello Gooders , that is a thought , Duncan was married in 1908 , i dont know anyting much about the family , just that their father was a farm manager on farms in the Grantown area , it was usual for farm famlies to work on farms ,but of course that would be in their early lives , i know that area very well and i have seen Alex name on the war memorial , but never connected it as it was Duncan i was trying to trace , 1900, Duncan was working in Inverness in a grocers shop then he moved to Dumfries , got married and started up in a grocers shop . Went bankrupt  and after that nothing , thats all i know about the family . I am pleased to hear from you , what was the circumstances of Alex going to Hertford , will need to try and get the book you mentioned .
              regards Tom ,

[Gooders]

Tom,

This is just a few "bits and bobs" I have been able to discover so far on Alexander and his family ...

Absent Voters List 1918 (England)                                          Grant Alexander   Beechwood, Dunstable  266273 Cpl 1st Beds

British Commonwealth War Graves Register 1914 – 18

Grant Cpl A 266273 1st Bn Bedfordshire Regt 23rd August 1918
Adanac Military Cemetery, Miraumont and Pys, III H 18

Sat 5th October 1918 (Hemel Hempstead Gazette)

"The deaths of three soldiers of the district have recently been notified : Fred Kitchener, Leslie Grant and Alec Grant. The two former have been “missing” and are now reported killed. Fred Kitchener is the second son of Mrs Kitchener to make the supreme sacrifice."

He is commemorated on the Nethybridge War Memorial and the Inverallan section of the Grantown On Spey War Memorial (listed on both under Herts Regiment)

”Grant, Alexander. No.266273. Cpl; 1st Hertfordshire Regt; born at Heathfield, Grantown-on-Spey August 12th 1887; joined at Hertford, Dec 14th 1914; served in France and Italy; killed in action at Achiet-le-Petit, August 23rd 1918. Son of Alexander and Jessie Grant, Pityoulish, Aviemore. Occupation, chaffeur.”

taken from "Morayshire Roll Of Honour," Page 149

[tomk23]

Hello Gooders , Many thanks for the info , it gives me more to go on , i knew they stayed at Heathfield cottages , but couldnt find where they went from there , s the address in Aviemore is very helpfull . Finding Grants in this area is no problem it is getting the right ones , this is the home of the clan Grant museum .
          Do you know if Alex was married ? he must have had some reason for going to Dunstable .
         Thanks again , will keep u updated on any info i find out.
                  regards tom .           

[Gooders]

Tom,

I have found the following additional reference in a book called "Poppies From The Heart Of Strathspey", written by Peter Anderson.

“Alexander Grant was born in Grantown on Spey 23rd August 1887. The youngest son of Alex and Jessie Grant of Pityoulish, Aviemore and husband of Lizzie Simpson. They lived in Dunstable and at Croftnahaven in Boat of Garten. Alexander worked as a chauffeur. He enlisted in Hertford on the 14th December 1914, Alexander first arrived in France on the 10th July 1915. He was killed in action on the 23rd August 1918.”

Dunstable to Croftnahaven must have been some commute ....

Unfortunately, all of my on line information sources (Find My Past, Ancestry etc.) don't appear to cover Scotland post 1900 so I can't corroborate any of the marriage details etc or have any idea where Alexander and Lizzie were in 1911.

Simon

[tomk23]

thanks again Simon , thats great , wondering now if they had any children  , will check censuses etc and see what comes up ,
                        tom

[Gooders]

Hi Tom,

I'm pleased to hear the information is of interest and I hope that it is a stepping stone on your way to finding out more about the "missing" Duncan.

If you would like to see a brief overview of the research I have been doing (including Alexander Grant) then please click on the following ....

http://flamsteadpc.btck.co.uk/Documents/FlamsteadWarMemorial

I would certainly be interested to hear if you do manage to discover anything further on this family.

Simon